Fastener



sept. 2 192,4.,

C. P. STOCKTON FASTENER Filed Nov. 21. 1923 Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES rarest strict.

CHARLES P. STOCKTON, OF MELROSE, JIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEIIALF TOGEORGE C. THOMAS, OF MAL-DEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

FASTENER.

Application filed November 21, 1923. Serial No. 676,016.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. S'roon'ror, a citizen of the UnitedStates, a resident of Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State ofAMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fasteners, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of fasteners which are primarilydesigned and intended for use to fasten overshoes, raincoats and thelike, in which two fastener members are connected. at opposite ends tothe garment portion to be fastened and are adapted to be adjustablyconnected.

The invention has for its objects to provide a form fastener of thistype in which all projecting parts are eliminated which are likely tocatch on the clothing, also to provide a fastener with which the membersare unlikely to become accidentally disengaged and which may be readilymanufactured, to a large extent, by a stamping process.

I accomplish these objects in the manner hereinafter described and asillustrated in the accompanying` drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a pair of fastener members embodying myinvention, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 2 is a plan view'of the under side thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section at line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4L is a sectional view at line L -4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views at lines 5--5 and 6 6, respectively,of 'Fig 2.

According to my invention, I provide a pairv of oblong shaped fastenermembers a and l), which are adapted to be attached at opposite ends,respectively, to the opposite portions of an overshoe or garment to befastened together, one on the other, the outer member a having itslongitudinal edge portions bent downward and inward to form guideways cfor the edge portion of the inner member Z2. so that the latter mayslide freely therein. The members may be curved as shown, or straight,according to the purpose for which they are to be used. The inner memberb is slotted from its end opposite the end which is attached along itsmiddle portion, forming a slot d, and a series of corresponding,segmental shaped recesses c are formed in the opposite side portions ofsaid slot, forming intermediate projections f, which are directlyopposite each other, the distance between the ends of the oppositeprojections corresponding to the width of the slot. The oppositerecesses may be considered as circular holes of uniform diameter andintersected diametrically by the longitudinal slot (l.

A spring tongue g is struck out from the metal of the member a, at thelmiddle thereof, and in a position in which it extends longi tudinallyof'the member from its attached end, and is spring set in a position inwhich it extends divergently from the outer surface of the member, so'that the tip or end portion gl of the tongue is normally held at asubstantial distance from said outer surface. The end portion g isslightly enlarged and has rounded edges tapering to the eXtreme end anda stud 7L is iixed at one end in the middle of said end portion y saidstud having a flange portion i, at its opposite end, the diameter ofwhich is somewhat greater than the diametrical distance from the bottomof one recess c to the bottom of the opposite recess, a head-portion y',the diameter of which is approximately the same as the circularholesforming said recesses, so that it may be received thereby, and anintermediate shank portion 72, the diameter of which is slightly lessthan the distance between the opposite projections 7c. The end portionof the stud which is iiXed in the tongue, is preferably secured byriveting, as indicated in Fig. 3. The tapering end portion of the tipportion g of the tongue is bent downward at approximately right angles,to form a guard lug m, which depends therefrom to a point slightly belowthe level of the outer surface of the member a, so that in the normalposition of the tongue, shown in Fig. 3, there will be no projecting`end which is likely to catch on the clothing. A pair of longitudinalribs nare struck up in the inner member b to give it increasedstiffness.

When the fastener members are to be connected, the tongue g is depressedto its fullest extent, causing the shank portion of the stud to be movedinto a position opposite the guideways c, so that when the member isinserted in the guideways, the slot al will receive this portion of thestud, and as the distance between the ends of the projections f, or thenarrowest portions of the slot is slightly more than the diameter of theshank portion-lc, the member b may be slid beneath the member ca to anypoint.

v sliding movement beneath the member a.

To disengage the members it is merely necessary topress the tongueinward until the head portion is disengaged from the recesses inthe slotof the inner member and then the members may be slid relatively as willbe obvious.

In the locked position the parts will be securely held and the'probability Athat the ,tongue will be accidently pressed inwardly to asufficient extent to cause them to become unlocked is remote. n'

' The two fastener members are of such a construction that theyI may bereadily stamped out of sheet metal and the stud may ybe readily made byautomatic machines. 1 f

l. A fastener comprising an outer and an inner member 'adaptedA forattachment at opposite ends, said inner member being arranged forslidable connection with the outer member at its innerv side and havinga longitudinal slot therein extending from its` unattached end, saidslot having a series of oppositely disposed recesses'fopening thereto ateach side, a resilientftongue connected to said outer 'member at itsattached end' and normally extending towards its opposite end indivergent relation with the outer side thereof, a locking pirojectionrigidl with said tongue and extend-- ing from the end thereof throughthe outer member in position to enter the slot of saidv inner member,said projection having an intermediate shank portion adapted to bereceived by said slot and a head portion at its inner'end adapted to beengaged in the recesses thereof when the tongue is in normal position tobe disengaged therefrom when it is pressed inward.

2. A fastener comprising oblong, outer and inner members, arranged forattachment at their opposite ends, the outer member having longitudinalguideways in which the inner member is arranged to slide at the innerside' thereof, and said inner member having a longitudinal slotextending from its free end, said slot having a series of oppositelydisposed recesses opening thereto, a resilient tongue connection to theouter member adjacent its atta-ched'end and extending at the outer sidethereof towards its opposite end in divergent relation thereto, saidtongue having a locking stud fixed therein at its end and movablethereby through said members, said stud having an intermediate shankportion adapted to bereceived bysaid slot, a head 'i portion at itsinner end adapted to be receive'd by said opposite recesses to lock themembers against relative sliding movement and a flange at the inner endofthe head to engage the inner side of the inner member, said studbeing` movable by 'said tonguebetweenl positions in which either itsinters mediate portion or its head portion mayV be longitudinally ofsaid outer member and i spring set in divergent relation relativethereto, and va stud fixed in the end of said y tongue and extendingthrough said outer member into the slot of the inner member, said studhaving a circular head portion at its inner end adapted to be receivedbysaid circular holes and an intermediate shank portion adapted to bereceived by saidslot, the length of said portions `corresponding to thethickness of said inner member whereby either portiony may be held insaid slot.

4l. A fastener comprising an outer and an inner member adapted forattachment `at opposite ends, said inner member beingarranged forslidable connection with the outer member at its inner side and having alongitudinal slot therein extending from its unattached end, said slothaving a series of recesses opening thereto at vone side, a resilienttongue connected to said outer member at its attached end and normallyextending towards its opposite end in divergent relation with the outerside thereof, a locking projection rigid with said tongue and extending`from the end thereof through the outer member.in-position to enter theslot of said inner member, saidlprojection having an intermediate shankportion adapted toA be received by said slot and a head portion at itsinner end 'adapted to be engaged in the recesses thereof when -thetongue is ink Y normal position to lbe disengaged therefrom when it ispressed inward 5. A fastener comprising an outer and an inner memberadapted for attachment at opposite ends, said inner memberbeing arrangedfor vslidable connection Awith the outer member at its inner side andhaving a longitudinal slot therein extending from its unattaehed end,said slot having a series of recesses opening thereto at one side, aresilient tongue connected to said outer member at its attached end andnormally extending towards its opposite end in divergent relation withthe outer side thereof, a locking projection rigid with said tongue andeX- tending from the end thereof through the outer member in position toenter the slot of said inner member, said projection having anintermediate shank portion adapted to be received by said slot and atransversely projecting head portion at its inner end having a lockingportion adapted to enter any one of said recesses when the tongue is innormal position, and a stop portion arranged to engage the inner side ofthe inner member to limit the outward swinging movement of said tongueWhen said locking portion is engaged in one of said recesses.

Iny testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES P. STOCKTON.

